Cut-out block.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

F. BRUNBERG. GUT-OUT BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1907.

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UNITED STATES FRED BRUNBERG, OF WINDBER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CUT-OUT BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed April 25, 1907. Serial No. 370,140.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RED BRUNBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of W'indber, in the county of Somerset and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Out- Out Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches and has particular reference to I cut-out switches used on trolley wires in mine-tunnels where electric cars are used for the purpose of transporting material into and from the mine.

I have found that cut-out switches heretofore provided for this purpose have been too complicated, expensive and uncertain in their operations to bring them into general use. simple provision made for the passage of more than one car at a time over a section.

Thus after one car has passed over a given section it would be blocked against the passage of another car unless the switch was first restored by hand or otherwise to the position from which it was moved by the first car passing it.

The general object of my invention is to remedy the difficulties connected with switches heretofore provided, and particularly to overcome the objections referred to in the foregoing, and with said object in view my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawingFigure 1 is a plan view representing a section of the main line trolley wire and two branch lines, entering side-cuts or branch-tunnels of a mine, provided with my invention. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are, respectively, a side elevation, a top plan and a transverse section of a cut-out block embodying my invention.

In the several views 2 represents the cut out block as a whole which is fastened to the to of the mine shaft or tunnel, or any suitab e support, in any suitable manner. 3 represents the trolley line in the main tunnel and 4 and 5 the branch lines entering the branch-tunnels following the veins of ore where the men are at work digging ore.

In Fig. 1 I have shown only the branch lines provided with my device, but it is equally applicable to the main line 3 for dividing it into the usual sections or blocks and Furthermore there has usually been no making the trolley wire dead in the rear of the car when it is returning toward the generator, or dynamo.

' In my cut-out block 2, 6 is a wooden block, or block of nonconduoting material, to the ends of which are secured metal caps, or conductors, fastened by screws 9 or in any other suitable manner.-

10 represents that portion of the wire which is between the cut-out block 2 and the dynamo or source of power and said portion of wire is connected with the metal part 7, Whereas the normally dead part of the line, 4 or 5, is connected with the o posite metal part 8. A contact-plate 11 is s idably mounted on top of the block of wood 6 so that moisture cannot gather on the block where the contact-plate is located. An arch 12 projects upwardly from the metal 8 and carries a contactspring 13. A similar arch l4 and spring 15 are on the metal 8. The spring 1 3 is always in contact with the plate 1 l and the spring 15 and metal 7 are normally discon nected from the plate 11 as shown in the several views. The plate 11 is moved into and out of contact with the spring 15 by means of a lever 16 provided with a cam-head 17. This lever is mounted in a vertical opening18 through the wooden block 6, on a bolt or pivot 19 passing transversely through the block and the opening 18. This pivot is placed a little above the center of gravity of the lever so as to cause the latter to normally occupy a vertical position or to swing back to vertical after each temporary engagement with the trolley wheel 20 indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Buffer springs 22 and 23 are arranged at the ends of the slots in such amanner as to come in contact with offsets 22 and 23 of the levers head 17 when swung out of perpendicular by the trolley-wheel. These springs assist gravity in swinging the lever back to perpendicular after each encounter with the trolley-wheel and thus place the lever in position not to interfere with the passage of a trolley-wheel in either direction along the wire. Thus after one car has passed the lever another may follow in the same direction without encountering any 0bstruction or causing arcing between the trolley-wheel and wire.

In order to prevent arcing during the swinging of the lever 16 I provide a metal extension 24 of the metal part 7, which 'eXtension follows the trolley-wire line underneath the block until the end 25 of the plate 1 1 is in contact with the spring 15 and has closed the circuit between the wires 10 and 5. A yoke 26 is secured to the block 6 over the end 25 of the plate 11 for the purpose of holding said end inplace. The opposite end. of the plate 11 is always guided by the archr12.

' As shown in Fig 2 the opening 18 and the springs 22 and 23 are arranged. so that when the lever is in its normal, or vertical, position it is in position to immediately engage the end of the slot nearest to the head 17. The latter, as shown, has curved surfaces to engage the contact plate, and when the lever has been swung to about the end of its movement in either direction the buffer spring has been depressed, as shown to the left by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and ready to react to throw the lever back to its normal position after being relieved of restraint by the trolley-wheel.

As the different parts are arranged in the views, the branch lines 4 and 5 are dead on account of the circuit being broken at 27 between the plate 11 and the spring 15. When the trolley wheel moves from the wire 10 toward the lever and the latter is swung to the left the plate is moved to the right by the curved surface on the right edge of the head 17 coming into contact with the spring 23. This closes the circuit and establishes electrical connection between the conductors or metal parts 7 and 8 and the wires 10 and 5. When the car returns from one of the branches the circuit is opened by the swinging of the lever to the right as indicated by dotted lines of lever and trolley in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination' with a trolley-wire composed of two sections, of a cutout block connecting said sections and normally insulating them from each other, said block con sisting of wood or nonconducting material having metallic parts 7 and 8, a contact plate in electrical connection with one of said parts 7 and 8 and normally disconnected from the other of said parts, a lever for moving said plate, said lever arranged with reference to said plate so that it is always nor mally out of contact therewith and always occupies the same positon when not engaged by a trolley Wheel.

2. The combination with the wire sections -5 and 10 of a cut-out block 2 consisting of a wooden block 6 connecting said sections and insulating them from each other, a contactplate 11, metallic contact pieces 7 and. 8 on the ends of said block, one thereof always arranged in contact with the plate 11, said plate 11 having a slot 18 therein provided with insulations 28 and 29 and said block 6 having an opening 18 therethrough, a lever 16 pivoted to occupy said slot and opening and to normally hang vertical therein, the extension 24 of the part 7, the springs 13 and 15 arranged to contact with the plate 11 and the springs 22 and 23 arranged to contact with the head 17 of the lever 16.

3. Thecombination with trolley-wire sections, of a cut-out block made of substantially nonconducting material, conductors on the ends of said block, a slidably mounted contact-plate always electrically connected with one of said conductors, a pivoted lever for moving said plate into and out of connection with the other conductor, said lever arranged to normally occupy a vertical position, and means for forcing said lever back to its normal, or vertical, position after each of its engagements with a trolley-wheel.

4. The combination with the trolley-wire sections, of a cut-out block having electrical conductors at its ends, a slotted contact-plate always in electrical connection with one of said conductors, a pivoted lever arranged to move said plate into and out of engagement with the other conductor, said lever normally hanging in a vertical position and free to swing in either direction, and springs on said contact-plate which engage parts of said lever to force it back into its normal, or vertical, position after it has been en aged by a trolley wheel traveling along said. trolleywire sections.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED BRUN BERG. Witnesses G. S. MowRY, H. Horanrvrsr. 

